Decrease Repetitive Behaviors in Children With Autism

Children with Autism are prone to repetitive movements. This is due to the need to expel extra energy and can be distracting and disruptive. With a few simple changes, these behaviors can be decreased.

In children with Autism, expelled energy takes the form of hand flapping, walking in circles, head banging, or jumping up and down. Also any fixation on a certain task, such as rolling a piece of string between two fingers or "flying" a hand in front of their face.

Repetitive movements are not unusual. When people are nervous or excited, they tend to drum their fingers or tap their feet in order to let out some of that extra built up energy. This is normal and happens every day. Movements can be subconscious like twirling hair around a finger or biting a lip.

While repetitive movements, with the exception of head banging, are not a safety concern to the child or others, they do impede on the child's ability to learn or take part in other activities. The more the child is focused on repeating the same task the less attention or brain power they have available for anything else.

So how do you get a child to calm down, sit down, and pay attention without distractions?

Even though a child with Autism will never be completely without repetitive behaviors, here are a few tips and tricks to help decrease them.

1.) Provide a movement outlet like swinging, jumping on a trampoline, or running laps around a track.

2.) Use chew tubes. These allow the child to sit still, but expel excess energy by biting.

3.) Create a reward system for not doing the unwanted behavior. For example, if the child does not kick the wall for five minutes, they get a treat. Then extend the time to ten minutes and so on until the unwanted behavior is gone.

4.) Replace the bad behavior with a good behavior. For example, instead of rolling paper between fingers, redirect the child to build with blocks.

This will not stop the behaviors, but by getting the child into another activity, they become more alert and socially functioning.

Dawn has an 11 year old son with Classical Autism.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dawn_Ernst

Autism in Children - Two Important Signs to Monitor That Indicate the Condition

Do you know that more and more people are being afflicted with autism spectrum disorder? This is a fact because many children are continually being diagnosed with this disease on a daily basis all over the world. In the United States alone, it is estimated that more than 2 million people are infected with the disease and the figure is likely to be increasing on a daily basis.

If you are a parent or an intending one, there are certain signs you need to monitor in your child to know if that child is having autism. The major signs to monitor usually affect the communicative and behavior skills of the patient. Read the below two important signs that can help you know whether your child is autistic or not. But of course, ensure that you get the doctor's confirmation before taking any action.

The first sign area you will like to watch out for is the inability of the child to display the needed social skill when it is time. A normal child is likely to show gestures and imitate certain words before he or she reaches one year and six months. If your child at this age cannot show this skill then watch out as he or she might be a victim of the condition.

Another is the behavior he or she is constantly exhibiting. An autistic child usually displays a repetitive characters like the repetition of some words when it is not necessary. He or she could also repeat certain actions such as flapping of hands. The habit is often referred to as stimming. A child with autism usually displays this habit.

These two signs, among others, should alert you to the presence of autism in your child. But of course, before making any decisions or arriving at any conclusions, you should talk to your doctor to examine your child and let you know what the true situation is.

Click to learn --> Autism Toddlers Symptoms and secrets to High Functioning Autism!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elliott_Snow